Oh, there’s a spot, or let’s wait until this car pulls out so I can take his spot because it’s closer to the store. The underlying belief is that when entering a parking lot, the closest spot is the best. It is so ingrained in our thinking and behavior, because the object of the game in parking lots is to walk less. Really? With the object of this particular activity to walk less, it’s no wonder the majority of us are fat or obese.
So, here’s the new object of the parking lot game, a redefinition of driving behavior, if you will. Imagine that the object of the game is to walk more and, thus, the parking spots that are the furthest away are now the coveted spots. In this new healthy world, people wait for distant spots to open up and avoid those spots that are close to the entrance. Those parking spots are for the losers who didn’t come early enough!
Your task is to adopt this new mentality and to discard your old belief that the closest parking spot is the one you want. It’s time to change and play by the rules of the new parking lot game. When you enter a parking lot, steer your car towards the back of the lot and find the space that’s the furthest from the entrance. Park your car in one of these spots and smile as you walk toward your destination, proud of your new accomplishment. As you’re playing the new parking lot game, you’ll walk a lot more, and that’s good. Breathe, look around you, and take in what you may have missed before. This is the new you adopting a new behavior and contributing to the redefinition of parking lots.
For more ideas on how to walk more, read Part Two, Move Your Body Now in I’m Fat, Help Me.
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